Jun 4, 2020 | Items of Note, NIOA Board Insights, President's Point of View
June 3, 2020
Public Information Officer, we see you.
If memory serves me correctly, at last year’s conference the hashtag #PIOsMatter was born. Pairing those two simple words made such an impactful statement. I cannot recall a time when it resonated more profoundly than it does today. You do matter. Now more than ever.
As government communicators and public information officers on the front lines of a nation with an increasingly challenging climate, you all continue to serve your organizations, your communities, and the field of public information with integrity, professionalism, and dedication. You meet adversity after adversity and work tirelessly to overcome. Sometimes this requires you to spend long hours away from your families and friends. Some of you even experience the added element of risking your life or having threats against your life simply because of the uniform you wear or the role you play in light of current events. None of this is easy, but you do not complain. You do what you must do. You push through.
What happened to George Floyd was not okay. Major Cities Chiefs Association describes his death as “by any measure of professional policing unnecessary, avoidable, and criminal.” I think we can all agree. As a result of this horrific injustice, our nation is hurting, mad, fearful, resentful, confrontational, radical, sorrowful, and the list of emotions go on and on.
Our community members are demanding change; some peacefully and others through anarchy and complete destruction. We never know what each new day holds. Will there be another protest? Will it be peaceful? Will our town be destroyed? What do we say before, during, after? HOW do we say it?
On a personal level, we watch our family members, colleagues, friends, and even strangers suffer by either words or actions. Our law enforcement friends. Our friends of color. Our law enforcement friends of color. Words hurt. Actions hurt. Lack of action hurts.
We cannot hide from it. We’re embedded. We’re engaged in social media, and those social media posts can be ruthless. We’re passionate about what we do and take things personally, though we try our very best not to. I once had an instructor offer the best piece of advice I’ve ever received, “Listen for understanding, not agreement.” Easier said than done.
I say all this to say… #PIOsMatter. You matter. You not only matter to your communities, but you matter to us. We stand with you. We walk with you. We are here for you. This load is not for you to carry alone. We are a diverse group by every imaginable definition, and our strength is magnified because of that diversity. If you feel overwhelmed, please do not hesitate to reach out to your colleagues within our amazing organization. We are a family; a family that will always build one another up.
May, you continue to stay safe and resilient,
Ashley McDonald
NIOA President
Jan 2, 2018 | Board Members Postings, Items of Note, NIOA Board Insights, NIOA Conference
In a little over a week the NIOA board will meet to decide topics and speakers for the 2018 conference.
If you have an idea, please send it to nioa@comcast.net before Tuesday, January 9.
Please include the name of the suggested speaker and their contact information.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Lisa McNeal
Executive Director
Jul 11, 2016 | NIOA Board Insights, President's Point of View
Updated: 13 July 2016
Please excuse the duplicate email but due to a technical glitch, the version you received earlier this week was incomplete.
Since the note of support is from all of NIOA, we are re-sending this message to ensure you saw the open letter to the chiefs.
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What a challenging week it was for public safety agencies. Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Falcon Heights, Minnesota; Dallas Texas. Friday afternoon officers were ambushed in Ballwin, Missouri and Valdosta, Georgia and several officers were hurt in demonstrations around the country this weekend.
I know members of the NIOA family everywhere are monitoring the aftermath of each of these incidents, especially the Dallas ambush. I’m confident many of us are having similar reactions and asking similar questions; among them: what can and should we do–today and in the days and months ahead–in response to the events of the past week and to all of the other incidents of police-involved conflict in recent months which have caused so much pain and division.
It’s not just members of law enforcement that are suffering. Responders from all agencies, medical personnel, the families of the victims, and the public at large are grieving.
The NIOA Board has sent notes of support and sympathy to the Chiefs and PIOs of the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department. I wanted to share that letter (see below) with all of our members and encourage you to keep law enforcement officers everywhere in your prayers.
As many of us know from experience, adrenalin and caffeine will carry you only so far during these kinds of events. The NIOA board encourages those members who might be in a position to offer Dallas PIOs some support in coming days–if they need it–to consider doing so, and please let us know if you do.
Thanks,
Ed Buice
To: Chief David Brown, Dallas Police Department,
Chief J.D. Spiller, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department
Sirs:
Please accept the sympathy, support and prayers of the men and women of the National Information Officers Association, a group of hundreds of spokespersons from public safety agencies around the nation.
Like millions of other Americans, we mourn with you, your officers and communities.
I commend you and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings for the outstanding job you have all done briefing the media and through them, the world. You’ve been incredibly articulate and have shown sincere empathy, honor, passion, compassion and composure. NIOA members salute you and your PIOs for a job well done.
If there is any sort of support that NIOA can provide your departments, please let us know.
Ed Buice
President, National Information Officers Association
www.nioa.org
Public Affairs Officer, Naval Criminal Investigative Service
ed.buice@ncis.navy.mil
571-305-9070
Feb 3, 2014 | NIOA Board Insights
Please complete this survey. It will only take a few minutes and your participation will help determine the range of income and responsibilities of public information officers throughout our membership.
Click: PIO Salary Survey via Survey Monkey
Sep 1, 2010 | Member News, NIOA Board Insights, NIOA Conference
NIOA members have elected Chuck Allen as Vice President for 2010-2011. Jack Goldhorn will advance as President of the organization. Marlee Boenig will continue to serve on the executive board for one year as Immediate Past President.
From Chuck’s recent election bio:
“…I have been with the Nevada Department of Public Safety-Highway-Patrol Division for twenty years and have spent the past six plus years as the spokesperson for my agency. I am also a twenty-six year member of the military and am currently assigned as the Human Resource Advisor for the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, and report directly to the Wing Commander.
I have been a member of the NIOA since 2004 and have attended every annual conference since then. Additionally, I assisted with a presentation detailing the lessons learned regarding the Steve Fossett search at the Sparks conference in 2008 and spoke at one of the breakouts in Nashville last year about doing more as a PIO.
The core values for my full time career are Dedication, Pride, and Service, and my Air National Guard core values are Integrity, Service before Self, and Excellence in All We Do. As a public information officer I live by the core values of Approachability, Availability, and Visibility. With a belief system in applying all of these values, I truly believe I represent my agency in the most professional manner and believe that by building and maintaining relationships with the media is the key to being successful.
As for my involvement in the community, I have been a member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Nevada Humane Society for 4 years and am currently assigned as the Secretary. I am also heavily involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) in Nevada and coordinate and participate in a number of fundraisers every year benefiting the athletes in the Special Olympics Nevada program. I also sit on the board of directors for the Sparks Traffic Survival School, a non-profit group involved with providing teen and adult driving safety training.
…I will work as hard and as passionately as possible in promoting and expanding the growth of the NIOA. I love this organization immensely and will continue to be a proud member and a hopeful officer of the board…”
Apr 29, 2010 | Member News, NIOA Board Insights, Vice-President's Observations
We wanted to pass along some news out of Region 9. Long time NIOA member and regional director Steve Frady from Reno Police and Fire has announced his retirement from Public Service effective May 6, 2010.
Steve has been a mentor and good friend to all of us and we wish him the best of luck in his retirement. With this in mind, Steve will also be stepping down as Regional Director of NIOA.
The Board has chosen Michele Anderson of the City of Reno to replace Steve as Region 9 Director.
Please be sure to congratulate both of these fine people for their accomplishments.
